Cotoneaster horizontalis
Wall or herringbone cotoneaster
(c) M a n u e l, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Not Native
Cotoneaster horizontalis (Wall or herringbone cotoneaster) is a non-native California shrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by distinctive 2-ranked leaves, herringbone branching, small size.
Wall cotoneaster is a naturalized shrub found in northern California coastal regions in thickets, brushy slopes, and pasture edges at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces pink to nearly red flowers 5 to 7 millimeters long with white anthers and dark red filaments. Growing as a deciduous shrub 0.5 to 1 meter tall, it forms a distinctive horizontally spreading habit. Its leaves are widely elliptic, 4 to 14 millimeters long, with a glossy surface and an acute tip, appearing slightly hairy on the underside. In autumn and winter, the shrub bears small red fruits 4 to 7 millimeters wide, which are widely ovate to nearly spherical.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; distinctive 2-ranked leaves, herringbone branching, small size
Habitat and range
Habitat: Thickets, brushy slopes, pasture edges
Elevation: < 100 m
California counties: Del Norte, Butte, Yolo, Santa Clara
Outside California: to British Columbia, native to China
Bloom period
Cotoneaster horizontalis blooms Apr-May, fruiting Sep--Mar.
How to tell it apart
vs Pyracantha: Pyracantha has thorns; Cotoneaster is thornless with smooth stems.; vs Heteromeles: Heteromeles has sharp-toothed leaf edges; Cotoneaster has completely smooth leaf margins.; vs Frangula: Frangula has prominent parallel leaf veins curving toward the tip; Cotoneaster has typical pinnate venation.; vs Rhamnus: Rhamnus has finely toothed leaves; Cotoneaster has completely smooth leaf edges.; vs Ceanothus: Ceanothus has three main veins from the leaf base; Cotoneaster has standard single-midrib venation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cotoneaster horizontalis native to California?
No. Cotoneaster horizontalis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Cotoneaster horizontalis bloom?
Cotoneaster horizontalis blooms Apr-May, fruiting Sep--Mar.
Where in California does Cotoneaster horizontalis grow?
Cotoneaster horizontalis occurs in Del Norte, Butte, Yolo, Santa Clara, at elevations of < 100 m.
What plant family does Cotoneaster horizontalis belong to?
Cotoneaster horizontalis is in the Rosaceae family, genus Cotoneaster.
What habitat does Cotoneaster horizontalis grow in?
Cotoneaster horizontalis grows in Thickets, brushy slopes, pasture edges.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.